Celebrating strong leaders on International Women’s Day

It’s International Women’s Day!  On this day, we celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The theme this year is ‘Break the Bias’, calling attention to the gender bias, discrimination and stereotyping that women continue to face at work today.

This year marks an especially important time to highlight activities that encourage women to pursue goals without bias or barriers.  Just months prior to the Covid-19  pandemic, women had crossed a major threshold as they had become the majority of job-holders in the US.  Since then, millions of women have suffered a reversal – leaving the workforce, due to layoffs, or to care for children, the elderly or others.  Furthermore, the pandemic’s hit to women and their careers has disproportionately affected women of color and job holders in certain industries.  

Understanding this, The Women’s Center is hosting our Annual Leadership Conference with a focus on ‘Caring, Courageous, Inclusive’ leadership. Although the conference is not exclusively for women, we have excellent female speakers who are breaking ground and will surely inspire the participants to shape a more equal future and recovery for all people in the years to come. Some of the topics covered by the speakers will be Re-engaging the Resigned, Caring for Your Community, Differences Drive Innovation, and Leadership 2.0. We will regularly update our website with more information in the days leading up to the event.

As a lead in to our upcoming conference, and to celebrate International Women’s Day, this month’s blog features a phenomenal local woman leader: Lissa Perez. In addition to being an Audit Partner at Deloitte (with more than 25 years of experience), Lissa is also a member of our Board of Directors. Read on to learn more about her experience and how she has been breaking the bias.

What does being a woman mean to you?

It means being powerful and assertive, yet kind and compassionate without feeling weak for doing so. It means developing and leveraging networks to achieve goals, while being proactive in helping others to achieve theirs. 

How have your experiences dealing with workplace bias affected your approach and behavior as a leader? 

When I was a young partner, my husband was transferred to a new city and I was fortunate that my firm accommodated my transfer to our office in this new geography.  I had a toddler, was pregnant with twins, on a part-time work arrangement, and did not have an established network within this geography.  Fast forward a year later and one of my mentors and fellow partners pulled me aside to share that it was important for me to reach out and spend time with leaders in the new region – share my experiences, contributions to the firm and my clients and, most important, my aspirations and goals for the future.  When looking at my profile – trailing spouse (my husband had agreed to move with me overseas earlier in my career – so turnaround was fair play!), part-time schedule, three small children and a spouse with an equally demanding career – there could be a biased opinion that I could not take on significant roles/assignments that would be too demanding. That said, I took the advice, was strategic in selecting leaders to meet and was very forthright in our discussions to not assume I wouldn’t be willing to move to a full-time schedule and/or make other adjustments for key assignments if/when they were available. It proved to be invaluable advice as one of the most prestigious clients moved its headquarters to the geography and I was selected to serve the account. It was great advice that I have never forgotten and share this with my mentees. 

What are you currently doing at work to fight gender bias and how would you advise others?  

I am proactive in mentoring other women, particularly women of color and working mothers.  I share my personal stories and advice about how I have navigated my career while integrating my husband’s equally demanding career and three kids.  It is so important to lead by connecting on a personal level, empathizing with the experiences of others, looking out for biases, and actively using my voice to advance equity. I strive to create a sense of belonging on my teams and in our workplace culture. It is critical for women to support other women in the workplace – raising each other up and channeling the power of collaboration is truly how we’ll change the equation—and have a lot more fun along the way!

What advice would you give women who are just starting out in their careers?

Put yourself out there and be willing to take risks. Women tend to avoid stretch assignments and challenges, worrying too much about whether they have the necessary skills to take on the new role.  I call this the butterfly effect – if you have butterflies in your stomach because you are nervous about a new position, role or opportunity, that likely means you are out of your comfort zone and it is a stretch assignment that will provide growth and development.  These are the types of opportunities that will help you spread your wings and soar.  Often I see women who may have 95% of the skills or experiences to take on a new role and they focus on the 5% that they don’t have, rather than having the confidence to accept the role.  If you wait until you think you are 100% ready for a role, you will likely miss out on strategic leadership roles.

Who do you consider to be your role model? Why?

I’ve had outstanding role models my entire life.  Starting with my Mom who always instilled confidence and a “can do” attitude at an early age. Professionally, there were a few women partners with children who were proactive at reaching out when I was a newly admitted partner to “welcome me to the club” and provide guidance and support with a different lens than my male partner mentors.  I am so grateful that they were so willing to share their candid stories and challenges in a constructive way to learn from their experiences.  And finally, I would say Michelle Obama.  Politics aside – I believe  she was one of the most passionate and accomplished First Ladies in history because of her charisma, compassion and willingness to use her platform to address racism, women’s rights and wellness.  I love that she called herself mom-in-chief, keeping her daughters at the top of her list when prioritizing her time and commitments.

Our annual leadership conference is coming up in less than a month. Why do you think people should participate? What has your past experience with the conference looked like?

I’ve been attending the conference over the past 10 years that I’ve served on the board of The Women’s Center.  It is absolutely one of the most inspirational and energizing events that I have attended and I always leave with a spring in my step.  The first year I attended, I was apologetic about the fact that the conference takes place on a Saturday when inviting my colleagues, knowing how busy weekends can be with other commitments.  That said, the individuals who attended were blown away by the amazing speakers who share their stories in an open, supportive and more personal environment.  You know it’s not your ordinary conference when you walk in to see mostly women in attendance and a shopping area for which a portion of the proceeds donated to The Women’s Center.  So many of these women are now “repeat attendees” and I usually have a wait list of individuals who are interested in attending.  It’s hard to describe the energy and excitement in the room when you have so many dynamic women professionals together. So excited it is back in person this year with an amazing lineup of speakers and knowing we are having an impact in our community. 

To learn more about the conference, visit the event page on our website. You can also make a donation to support The Women’s Center.